file name as a string

hey guys, is there a way to send a file name as a string? I get an error if I leave out the quotes around fileName, and the opening failes if they are there...any suggestions? assume that the file that user input exists in the directory ofcourse...

Code:

void generateText(string fileName, int window, int length, char* text)
{
	ifstream inStream;

	inStream.open(fileName); // the problem is here...I assume
	if ( inStream.fail() ) 
	{
		cout << "Input file opening for " << fileName << " failed.  Exiting...\n\n";
		exit(-1);
	}
}

thanks, axon

What does

Code:

cout << "Input file opening for " << fileName << " failed.  Exiting...\n\n";

output?

gg

try

Code:

inStream.open(fileName.c_str());

Codeplug:

if fileName is enclosed in quotes like inStream.open("fileName"), the program outputs exactly what is written with the name of the file that is in fileName. if fileName doesn't have quotes, this is the error I get

Code:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\MyProjects\prog4\b.cpp(143) : error C2664: 'void __thiscall 
std::basic_ifstream<char,struct std::char_traits<char> >::open(const char *,int)' : cannot 
convert parameter 1 from 'class std::basic_string<char,st

ripper079:
thanks, your suggestion works...I looked up c_str() and just for my knowledge, and correct me if I'm wrong, it converts the string to a c-string?, is it just in that instance, and the original variable is just a normal string, or is is a c-string from here on?

thanks,

axon

I keep forgetting string doesn't overload "const char*" operator...

Calling c_str() will simply return a "const char*" version of fileName (in other words, a null-terminated C-string). It won't modify fileName.

gg